1

Global South-South Development Expo 2016

GLOBAL SOUTH-SOUTH DEVELOPMENT EXPO

2016

“South-South Cooperation: Enhancing innovation towards

achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”:

ILO Solution Forum: THE FUTURE OF WORK AND

South-South and triangular Cooperation

1 November 2016 (9-10:30), Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Solution-Forum Title:

THE FUTURE OF WORK AND South-South and triangular

Cooperation

Department:

ILO PARDEV

Primary Contact person:

Anita Amorim

Head

Emerging and Special Partnerships Unit

Department of Partnerships and Field Support

amorim@ilo.org

Secondary Contact persons:

Yordanka Tzvetkova

Head Brics UNIT ILO ITC Turin y.tzvetkova@itcilo.org

Solution -Forum

Description

I. Introduction

South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC) can be defined as collaboration

between two or more developing countries that is guided by the principles of

solidarity and non-conditionality, aimed at implementing inclusive and

distributive development models that are driven by demand. SSTC is based on

the fundamental premise that developing countries should identify their own

needs and address them in part by acquiring new expertise, knowledge and

technology from other countries of the Global South that have acquired

experience from regular development cooperation initiatives funded by Official

Development Assistance. In this sense, SSTC is a complement to North-South

2

cooperation and a concerted effort to promote development opportunities.

In the past decade, SSTC has become a consolidated practice through both the

implementation of projects coordinated by developing countries’ cooperation

agencies, and commitments made at the international level to boost this type of

cooperation. Such commitments include the recent 2015 Addis Ababa Action

Agenda, as well as UN General Assembly commitments. From an ILO

perspective, SSTC is a horizontal and solidarity-driven means to promote and

implement the Decent Work Agenda in the context of the 2030 Sustainable

Development Agenda and the 17 Goals that it comprises, in particular SDG 8: to

promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and

productive employment and decent work for all, and SDG 17, which includes

capacity building as one of its targets: “Enhance international support for

implementing effective and targeted capacity building in developing countries to

support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals,

including through North-South, South-South Cooperation. As mentioned in the

GSSD 2016 concept note, the Secretary-General, in his report on South-South

cooperation to the sixty-second session of the General Assembly (A/62/295),

called on the international development community, including the United Nations

system, to help to scale up the impact of South-South cooperation by: (a)

optimizing the use of South-South approaches in achieving the internationally

agreed development goals; (b) intensifying multilateral support for South-South

initiatives to address common development challenges; (c) fostering inclusive

partnerships for South-South cooperation, including triangular and public-private

partnerships; (d) enhancing the coherence of United Nations system support for

South-South cooperation; and (e) continuing to develop innovative mechanisms

to mobilize resources for South-South and triangular initiatives.

In this regard, and based on past staff needs assessments (see below), the ILO is

planning to organize a South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)

SOLUTION FORUM on THE FUTURE OF WORK AND SOUTH SOUTH

COOPERATION devoted to ILO staff and partners. The objectives include

ensuring ILO staff and constituents can access tools and methodologies enabling

them to implement new South-South and triangular cooperation projects. ILO

staff and constituents will be able to follow up on their learning experience of

SSTC by exchanging experience and deepening knowledge through an ‘SSTC

virtual meeting point’ (www.southsouthpoint.net) and by tailor-made coaching

and training sessions.

II. The Global South-South Development Expos and the ILO

The ILO has been involved in supporting South-South and triangular cooperation

for the past three decades. 1 In March 2012, the ILO Governing Body adopted an

ILO South-South and Triangular Cooperation Strategy embedded in the

document: “South–South and triangular cooperation: The way forward”. 2 The

1 http://www.ilo.org/pardev/partnerships-and-relations/south-south/lang--en/index.htm 2 http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_norm/@relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_172577.pdf

3

results framework proposed for the SSTC strategy were: 1) the ILO has greater

institutional awareness and capacity to identify and implement SSTC, with a view

to establishing and implementing an initiative on SSTC; 2) the Decent Work

Agenda is advanced through SSTC with the engagement of an increasing number

of governments, social partners, UN agencies and non-state actors. Therefore, the

ILO has been an active participant in the Global South-South Development

Expos (GSSD), and hosted the 2010 GSSD at its Geneva headquarters. The

GSSD Expo 2016 will bring together principals and representatives of United

Nations organizations, developing countries, development partners agencies,

business and private-sector groups and civil society organizations to showcase

their evidence-based South-South development solutions. This will contribute to

sharing and disseminating information on best practices and good examples of

South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation.

The solutions presented within the framework of the overarching theme of the

Expo will touch upon a variety of thematic areas such as environment,

development, youth employment, health, trade, investment, labour and

agriculture as well as the fiscal and economic policies that are shaping them and

that will determine inclusive sustainable development in the 2030 Agenda.

III. ILO SOLUTION FORUM: THE FUTURE OF WORK AND

SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION

The Future of Work Initiative: Main objectives vis-à-vis SSTC

Generate a better understanding of the forces transforming the world of

work and the implications for governments, workers and employers and

how SSTC can support this change processes in a new development

cooperation environment

Provide a constructive forum for the exchange of ideas and information

between the tripartite constituents, through peer-to-peer approaches, as

well as other key stakeholders in the formulation of policies and new

approaches

Articulate and promote policy alternatives, innovative partnerships and

good practices that can be replicated by governments, employers and

workers and other key partners in countries of the Global South through

SSTC

Four Centenary Conversations

The ILO is organising its Future of Work dialogues be structured around four

Centenary Conversations: 1) Work and Society; 2) Decent Jobs for All; 3) The

organization of work and production; 4) The Governance of Work. During the

ILO Solution Forum we propose to concentrate in two of the dialogues, namely:

4

Decent Work for all and SSTC and the Governance of Work, Social Dialogue and

SSTC. In a nutshell the thematic areas (and their accompanying key questions)

would be as follows for the Solution Forum (focusing mainly on two of the four

conversations):

A) Decent jobs for all and SSTC

The ILO, along with most governments, believes that full employment is a goal

that cannot be abandoned. Further, the ILO is committed to ensuring that jobs

meet the quality criteria of decent work.

Two commonly identified sources for future job growth in both developing and

industrialized countries are the green economy, given the need to invest heavily

in energy-efficient infrastructure and production, and the care economy, given the

aging population in much of the world.

However, the ILO estimates the world needs 600 million jobs by 2030 to achieve

the goals and targets outlined in the SDG Agenda. This accepted, recent

experience has raised the fundamental questions about the efficacy of policy

instruments now at the disposal of national and international policy-makers.

Issues to consider when thinking about decent jobs and South-South

Cooperation:

i. Do we need to use the policy tools we have better and with improved

international cooperation and coordination, or do we need entirely new

and innovative approaches and policies? In this case is South-South and

triangular cooperation a useful new approach to development?

ii. Some of the issues for us to consider in our efforts to provide decent jobs

in the Global South: matching skills and training with needs; targeting

structural disadvantage of those such young people, women and the

disabled; managing fair migration so that jobs are available to those that

need them. In this regard looking into sharing good practices in youth

employment, skills development through South-South and triangular

cooperation is one of the focuses of our Solution Forum.

The governance of work and SSTC

Three underlying threads of logic can be detected in that system: the need to

establish a level playing field between member States on the basis of common

standards; the shared objective of establishing universal respect for fundamental

principles and rights at work as set out in the 1998 ILO Declaration on

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work; and the idea that international labour

standards – including non-binding Recommendations – should provide a

framework of guidance for member States as they seek to marry economic

growth with social progress.

This brings us to issues for the future of governance at work:

5

i. How do we define the role of the ILO in respect of the explosive growth

of a wide range of initiatives commonly grouped under the heading of

corporate social responsibility (CSR)? Is there any role for South-South

and Triangular Cooperation?

ii. What is the place for tripartite governance and social dialogue and how

can SSTC support these processes?

iii. What part will the future world of work accord to such organizations, and

how will they contribute to shape that future?

(The future of trade unions and of employers’ organizations must

therefore be part of this centenary conversation. It is understood that

strong, democratic, independent organizations interacting in conditions of

mutual trust and respect are the preconditions for credible social dialogue)

Good Practice 1: Tunisia Social Dialogue and Future SSTC

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet consists of ILO constituents – the

Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) and The Tunisian Confederation of

Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) – along with the Tunisian Human

Rights League (LTDH) and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers were awarded in 2014

the Nobel Peace Prize. The Quartet was formed in 2013, when Tunisia's efforts to

introduce democracy were in danger of failing amid assassinations and social

unrest.

In January 2013, during the commemoration of the 2nd anniversary of the

Jasmine Revolution, the ILO Director-General was invited to witness the signing

of the "social contract" between the Government, the UGTT and UTICA. This

social contract, which has benefited throughout its development from the support

and expertise of the ILO, has been instrumental in paving the way for

improvements in the areas of labour law and labour relations, employment

policies, social protection and vocational training, as well as balanced regional

development.

Tripartism, cooperation between the government, workers’ and employers’

organizations, is the cornerstone of the ILO, a UN agency committed to

promoting social justice and decent work for all. The example of Tunisia

powerfully demonstrates, in situations of crisis and post-crisis, that social

dialogue contributes to strengthening civil peace and democracy. This can be a

great example for countries in fragile situations and can be replicated via South-

South Cooperation.

The ILO continues to work with Tunisia to promote social dialogue and

strengthen labour governance. Proposed panelists for this segment:

6

Mr Foued Ben Abdallah Director General of the Labour Inspectorate and

the reconciliation to the Ministry of socialAffairs.

foued.benabdallah@social.gov.tn - telephone +216 98 801 375 -+216 71

842 920 (TBC)

Mr Anouar Kaddour Deputy Secretary General in charge of studies and

member of the executive bureau of UGTT - anouar.kaddour@enit.rnu.tn –

telephone : +216 98 592 881 - +216 71 354 793

Mr Khelil Ghariani Chairman of the Social Committee and member of

the executivebureau of UTICA -cofine.ind@hotmail.com;

cofine.kg@topnet.tn - telephone : +216 20 20 36 48 ou +21628 047 812

Good Practice 2. Promoting South-South Cooperation in Social Dialogue and

Social Protection: Good Practices from Algeria

Description of the South-South cooperation good practice

The ILO and the government of Algeria initiated in January 2016 a project

aiming to support Algeria, in particular the Ministry of Labour, Employment and

Social Security and its structures and the social partners - employers and workers

- in their efforts to consolidate what has been done at national in the areas of

social dialogue and social protection, and to share its experience with countries

partners of Africa.

Below are the 3 main objectives of South-South cooperation program:

Objective 1: Sharing the experience of Algeria in terms of Social

Protection with African countries through South-South and triangular

cooperation;

Objective 2: Share the experience of Algeria on Social Dialogue with

African countries.

Objective 3: Support the National Institute of Labour Studies and

Research to allow sharing the Algerian experience in social dialogue

towards African countries through South-South Exchanges

Social dialogue is for the ILO, the most suitable tool for promoting better

conditions of life and work and greater social justice. It is an instrument for better

governance in many areas and it contributes significantly to all efforts aimed at a

more efficient and fairer economy.

7

Dialogue is an essential tool for progress towards equality between men and

women in the workplace. It thus contributes to a more stable and equitable

society and is particularly adapted to the globalization process.

The practice of social dialogue in Algeria is anchored in international labor

Conventions, ratified by Algeria. The Government and the social partners work

closely together. The Algerian experience in this area resulted in the National

Economic and Social Pact for Growth, signed a tripartite basis in February 2014

and which provides the framework for cooperation between the government and

the social partners. The pact's objectives are to accelerate the process of economic

reform, industrial development, improving the business climate, the health system

and social protection, access to employment and the improvement of the power of

purchase.

The social dialogue and social security are closely linked and mutually

supportive. An effective and sustainable social security system must be based on

solid tripartite governance, the participation of workers 'and employers'

organizations, as well as their own responsibility to be accountable. This

participation involves the commitment of the social partners in the development

of policies and social security reforms as well as in managing the social security

system. It is included in the ILO's social security standards and principles.

Convention No. 102 Social Security (Minimum Standards) provides that the

system must be administered on a tripartite basis, which ensures and enhances

social dialogue between governments, employers and workers. Beyond this

Agreement, other ILO instruments promoting tripartism in social security:

• ILO Convention No. 168 on Employment Promotion and Protection

against Unemployment (1988)

• Recommendation No. 113 on consultation with industrial and national

levels (1960)

• ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (2008)

• The Global Jobs Pact (2009)

•Recommendation No. 202 on social protection floors (2012)

South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation are among the priorities of

the Government of Algeria strategies - and the School of Social Security in

Algiers is an example - and for the ILO in fact a means to its objectives. South-

South cooperation can prove to be a useful tool to encourage government and

social partners in developing countries to promote the ILO agenda for decent

work. The guidelines of the South-South cooperation, including respect for the

autonomy and national priorities, the diversity of situations and solutions and,

finally, solidarity between nations, align the approach of the Agenda ILO decent

work. Finally, South-South cooperation is one of the axes of the Cooperation

Framework between the Government and the UN System in Algeria. The

objective of the government of Algeria is to promote horizontal cooperation for

8

sharing South-South knowledge, in particular Algerian experience in social

protection and social dialogue, with francophone Africa, and to promote the

school, which provides an opportunity for francophone African students to

benefit from training in the field of social security while enhancing learning and

disseminating information on good practices.

Panelist 4: Mr. Akli Berkati

Directeur, Ministère du Travail de L’emploi et de la Sécurité Sociale

Moderator: Anita Amorim, Head, Emerging and Special Partnerships, ILO

Web-links

ILO’s page on South-South and Triangular Cooperation within the Partnerships’ and Field

Support Department:

http://www.ilo.org/pardev/south-south/lang--en/index.htm

ILO’s Participation in GSSD 2012:

http://www.ilo.org/pardev/south-south/WCMS_193410/lang--en/index.htm

ILO’s Participation in GSSD 2013: http://www.ilo.org/pardev/south-

south/WCMS_220453/lang--en/index.htm

Academy Gateway

Collective Brain (useful resources and knowledge sharing platform)

Potential and Limits to the Social and Solidarity Economy

Annual Review Meeting ILO-Brazil

South-South and Triangular Cooperation: The Way Forward

South-South Cooperation and Decent Work: Good Practices

Dedicated Spaces to the Global South-South Development Expo:

http://www.southsouthpoint.net/southsouthexpo2016.html

9

List of Panelists:

Name/Photo (jpeg)/ Official

Title/Institutional Affiliation/Email

address

Brief CV, title of presentation and brief description of

the presentation.

Anita Amorim

Moderator

Head ,emerging and special

partnerships unit, PARDEV,

International Labour Office

(amorim@ilo.org)

Ms Anita Amorim, Head, Emerging and Special

Partnerships Unit of the ILO Department of Partnerships

and Field Support, is responsible for the coordination of the

Unit including South-South partnerships and UN issues.

She has over 20 years of experience in UN system wide

coherence issues, particularly education, child labour and

gender rights.

Ms Amorim will be the discussant for this Solution Forum,

introducing some questions and key challenges to the

participants, while highlighting ILO’s Strategy for SSTC in

the world of work, as well as the ILO-UN Office for South-

South Cooperation joint project

While chairing, Ms. Amorim, will also provide insights in

ILO’s engagement in South-South and triangular

cooperation (SSTC), under the framework of the ILO

South-South and triangular cooperation strategy: “South–

South and triangular Cooperation: The way forward

(http://www.ilo.org/gb/GBSessions/GB313/pol/WCMS_17

2577/lang--en/index.htm Governing Body, 2012).

The presentation will highlight the benefits of SSTC

strategies and mechanisms in the context of sustainable

development and the potential of ILO’s tripartite structure

in this regard.

Mr. Foued Ben Abdallah

Director General of the Labour

Inspectorate and the

reconciliation to the Ministry

of social Affairs.

foued.benabdallah@social.gov.tn

Mr. Foued Ben Abdallah, is the Director General of

the Labour Inspectorate and the reconciliation to the

Ministry of social Affairs. He will represent the

government, regarding the good Practice of Social Dialogue

in Tunisia.

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet consists of ILO

constituents – the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT)

and The Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and

Handicrafts (UTICA) – along with the Tunisian Human

Rights League (LTDH) and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers

were awarded in 2014 the Nobel Peace Prize. The Quartet

was formed in 2013, when Tunisia's efforts to introduce

democracy were in danger of failing amid assassinations

and social unrest.

10

Mr. Anouar KADDOUR

Deputy Secretary General in

charge of studies and member of

the executive bureau of UGTT –

anouar.kaddour@enit.rnu.tn

Mr. Anouar Ben Kaddour is currently the Deputy Secretary

General to the UGTT, in charge of studies and

documentation. Before this, he was State Secretary to the

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Slaheddine

Malouche. He has lead the famous investigation of the fire

case, targeting UGTT which has resulted in proving that the

‘’Ennahda Party’’, a moderate Tunisian Islamic political

party, was responsible for the burning of the UGTT

documents.

Tripartism, cooperation between the government, workers’

and employers’ organizations, is the cornerstone of the

work performed by the “ Tunisian Quattor”. The UGTT had

a strong role in supporting this dialogue. The example of

Tunisia powerfully demonstrates, in situations of crisis and

post-crisis, that social dialogue contributes to strengthening

civil peace and democracy. This can be a great example for

countries in fragile situations and can be replicated via

South-South Cooperation.

Mr. Khelil Ghariani

Chairman of the Social Committee

and member of the executive

bureau of UTICA –

cofine.ind@hotmail.com ;

cofine.kg@topnet.tn

Khalil Ghariani, is in charge of all the social issues of

UTICA such as collective agreements, wages, social

conflicts and protection. Due to his initial training as a

lawyer, he has immediately gained respect in the way he

coordinates and manages his files from the UGTT, the

governments well as the ILO in Geneva and the MEDEF in

Paris. In 1989, he was hired by UTICA to strengthen the

social department and during 14 years has fully worked

alongside prominent figures in Tunisia, gaining negotiation

skills, and attending international meetings, notably that of

the ILO and employers’ confederations. As an UTICA

leader, he took part of this new team created after the 2011

Revolution and participated in the National Transitional

Committee and the High Commission, led by Yadh Ben

Achour, to achieve greater social dialogue and social

justice.

The employers’ perspective has been critical in the Tunisian

good practice: it has also been inspirational for other

countries of the Global South.

Mr. Akli Berkati

Director, Ministry of Labour,

Employment and Social Security

Mr. Akli Berkati, is the director of the Ministry of Labour,

Employment and Social Security: He will present the good

practice of the Algerian South-South cooperation with the

ILO regarding Social Dialogue and Social Security.

Mr. Berkati has participated in various seminars in Algeria

as well as abroad as representative from the labour,

employment and social security sector, involved especially

in the domains of labour inspection and social dialogue. He

is now contributing to the implementation of the South-

South cooperation program on social security and social

11

aberkfr@gmail.com

dialogue.

Some elements of the good practice include:

Sharing the experience of Algeria in terms of

Social Protection with African countries through

South-South and triangular cooperation;

Share the experience of Algeria on Social Dialogue

with African countries.

Support the National Institute of Labour Studies

and Research to allow sharing the Algerian

experience in social dialogue towards African

countries through South-South Exchanges

Maria Luz Vega

Future of Work

International Labour

Organization

vega@ilo.org

Ms. Maria Luz Vega has been an ILO specialist since 1989

and has published more than 40 publications on areas of

Labour law, human rights, labour administration and labour

inspection. She has a License in Labour and a Diplome

d’Etudes Superieures en Droit de travail from the

University of Geneva. In between her studies, she has

worked as a Labour and social security inspector at the

Ministry of labour and Social Security in Spain, from 1986

to 1989 and after that has worked as expert and specialist in

many different labour areas and is now Coordinator of the

Future of Work Initiate at the ILO since August 2016.

Ms. Vega will present the Future of Work Initiative and its

impacts on the world of work in the Global South.

Additional Contacts

Yordanka Tzvetkova, Ph.D. in Economics

Manager, BRICS Programme

International Training Centre of the ILO, Turin (Italy)

y.tzvetkova@itcilo.org

Social Media Outreach Contact:

Fernando Baptista, ILO consultant : www.southsouthpoint.net

12

13